The longest single span wooden bridge in the world. The bridge was built in 1855 by Nichols Powers of Pittsford Vermont. He devised a bridge of three trusses on a modified panel plan, with huge pine timber posts, braces and counterbraces bolted together. The trusses are of long truss design. The center truss is higher than the two outside ones, and in this center truss he enclosed a single arch of oak which reaches from below the lower chord on up to the ridgepole at the peak of the roof . It is really three concentric arches, one on top of another, and carefully blocked together to allow air to circulate among them. The covered portion of the bridge is 232 feet long, the trusses 228 feet and the clear span of 210 feet between abutments. This is one of only six covered bridges with two lanes. The bridge width is 26 feet.

Photography

The park on the north side of the bridge is an excellent area to take photographs of this bridge. Easy access under bridge on south side, good for underside and panoramic photos.

Parking

Parking available on either side of bridge. Across the road from the town garage on the north end of the bridge or on the south side of the bridge take a sharp right after crossing steel truss.

We first saw the bridge in September 1996. The siding was damaged in a flood in Jan. of 1996. We saw the bridge many times after that on our trips thru the Schoharie Valley. In the summer of 1997 the siding was replaced and the bridge painted a dark brown. The rehab job on the bridge had just been completed. The bridge smelled of fresh paint and certain bridge members were still stickey from the fresh paint. As part of the construction, a barrier was placed on the south side of the bridge to protect visitors on the bridge from falling from the pier.